


Forsaking all others

by orphan_account



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: Angst, M/M, Secrets, Smut, hidden past
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-29
Updated: 2015-11-07
Packaged: 2018-04-28 19:05:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5102240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aaron and Robert have just married and are at last able to look forward to being happy together. But when Robert is contacted by someone from his past what choices will he make and how will Aaron cope when secrets are revealed and danger arises for them both.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Text Message

Robert’s lips are already chapped and sore from Aaron’s stubble rubbing against him during their love making. His arse is sore too, bruised and stinging slightly in spite of the grease from the lube that seems to have spread to his chest, his arms and even his hair, where Aaron had held on while he went hard inside him.

He’ll probably need to lay off for a day, keep Aaron’s fingers and cock at bay. The thought makes him smile and he kisses Aaron softly under his ear. Even the thought of Aaron inside him makes his cock start to twitch once again. Aaron is perfect, the way he fills him and moves.

‘You ready to go again?’ Aaron growls sleepily, smiling in spite of himself.

‘You know I’m always ready with you, Mr Sugden.’  Robert answers truthfully.

He moves over so he his lying between Aaron’s thighs, holding himself up against him on his elbows and he leans down to kiss him on the mouth. He can taste salt and semen.

‘You drive me crazy.’ He whispers hoarsely.

Aaron moves his hips downwards then shifts his thighs, inviting Robert to enter him again.

‘So, how long have we been married?’

‘Where’s my watch?’ Robert answers stretching to lift the rolex from the bedside table. He rises and with his other hand lines up his cock against Aaron’s hole and then pushes in with just his head and waits. ’29 hours, 33 minutes and 15 seconds as of now.’ He answers, making tiny teasing thrusts before dropping the watch back down and balancing back on his forearms above Aaron.

‘And you’re not bored of me yet?’ Aaron smiles.

‘Not yet’ Robert moans as he slides deeply all the way inside. He starts to thrust and watches Aaron’s eyes react. ‘You know how much I love you?’ He growls. ‘This much,’ he teases with a thrust and grins. Aaron laughs back and raises his eyebrows ‘How much?’ He asks. ‘This much.’ Robert repeats the thrust.

 Aaron’s mouth falls open with pleasure as Robert finds the right place. His hands hold on to Robert’s back, pinching folds of skin and flesh between his fingers. ‘Rob, Robert, Robeeert’ He moans, half laughing and Robert leans down and presses kisses across his jaw and collar bone. ‘Say it to me again, Aaron.’  He asks.

‘Say what?’

‘ Just say it.’ Robert insists

‘ I love you, you muppet.’ Aaron whispers.

‘Again’

‘I love you.’

‘Oh God. I’m coming.’ Robert pulls out and strokes himself until he spills over Aaron’s stomach.  He pushes Aaron up the bed so he is sitting against the bedhead and takes Aaron’s cock in his mouth and sucks at him stroking his shaft. Aaron shouts out as his orgasm hits.

Robert rests his head against Aaron’s stomach.

‘What a mess.’ Aaron says surveying the bed.

Robert sits up and reaches for his phone, switching it back on. ‘I’ll change the sheets in a minute. You get in the shower first if you like while I sort it out.’ He starts reading messages, mostly about the wedding.

‘Nice one’ he says, showing a message from Victoria.

-          _Didn’t think you would want to be spending your time cooking, so check the fridge and freezer. I made you some gourmet just married meals.:) Enjoy._

‘Thank God. I was getting scared that I was going have to eat something made by you this evening.’

‘Yeah? Thought you might have already eaten enough made by me today.’ Robert answers.

It was so good to be home. They'd stayed in a hotel last night after the wedding. But they both agreed all they wanted was some quiet days at home for the honeymoon, so they'd arrived back this morning. After joking around carrying each other over the threshhold and some coffee and more toast and chocolate for Robert, they'd  come straight up to bed.

‘Who’s C?’ Aaron asks. ‘Is that Clive?’

Robert looks back at his messages as Aaron reads them over his shoulder.

-          _Saw you got married. Congratulations. I guess that’s an end of an era. Call me._

‘No.’ Robert answers. He hovers over the message for a second and then deletes it.

‘Why did you delete it?’

‘Don’t know really. Are you getting that shower or not? I’ll join you when I’ve sorted out here.’

Robert puts his phone down. Aaron narrows his eyes.

‘You OK?’

‘Course.’ Robert answers. ‘Why wouldn’t I be.’

‘You just seemed to go weird. Who was the message from Robert?

‘Nobody. Someone I used to know a long time ago.’

‘A bloke or a lass?’

‘A girl. Really noone. Aaron, will you please lighten up.’  He throws a pillow at him and they start to wrestle, until Aaron has Robert pinned by the wrists, unable to move his arms.

‘Go and get your shower or we will never eat and I will die of hypoglycemia.’ Robert objects. Aaron goes for his shower.


	2. Bombshell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron learns something shocking about Robert's past

The curtains are drawn. Below some kids can be heard calling to each other as they ride past on bicycles. Inside, the room is hushed except for their breathing. Robert and Aaron kiss, smiling, leaning against the bedroom wall.

Robert strokes his hands down over Aaron’s shoulders then takes his arms and turns him round. He pulls Aaron’s arms behind his back, crossing them at the wrists. He pushes Aaron forward so that he’s pressed against the wall. ‘Fuck, Aaron.’ His voice catches in his throat as he admires the view.

He leans forward and lightly touches Aaron’s neck below his right ear with his lips, blowing against his skin. Aaron closes his eyes and moans. Robert sucks gently at his skin, moving across his neck, rocking him slowly from behind. Aaron wants to move his hands but Robert holds him. ‘Robert, please.’ Aaron asks and Robert answers ‘In a moment’ and continues a rhythmic pressure circling with his tongue.

He sometimes wonders if Aaron would actually come just from having his neck kissed.

 Robert turns Aaron round, his cock is glistening. Robert adores the thickness and hardness of it; how it stretches his arse, his jaw when he goes down on him. He goes down on his knees and starts to lick his shaft and head. Aaron’s hands are in his hair pushing him down.  

‘Robert, please.’ He says again his eyes closed.

‘OK, my darling.’

He covers him with his mouth and goes down on him. When Aaron comes, Robert swallows down his cum.

He turns Aaron again and finds his hole with his thumb, loosening him up he then pushes in. ‘Aaron, Aaron.’ He groans, sucking in his breath, as eyes closed he slides in and out. He comes loudly, ‘Fuck, Fuuuck, I love you.’ He calls out as his climax hits and he shudders inside Aaron. After, he lets his head fall momentarily against Aaron’s shoulder then turns him again, rewarding him with wet kisses.

They move quickly into bed and pull up the duvet, Robert snuggles into Aaron’s chest and tangles his legs against Aaron’s.

‘We’ll have to get an electric heater for this room. It’s just too bloody cold.’

‘Or we could turn the central heating up.’ Aaron stretches out a hand and touches the radiator. ‘It’s barely warm.’

‘Well, deal with it then.’ Robert complains.

He closes his eyes. ‘Can you set the alarm for 40 minutes?  I’ll have to go up to Home Farm. I have to see Sam about a game shooting party I booked.’

‘It’s Saturday.’

‘I know. They’ll be coming on Monday. I have to just go over the agreement with Sam.’

‘What’ll they be shooting?’

‘Mainly pheasants and some other birds. Let me sleep, Aaron.’

After Robert has gone, Aaron turns up the central heating.

It isn’t like they can’t afford it. In fact quite the reverse; with the Whites not able to shift Robert from his contract as company director and with business at the scrapyard doing well, they can count themselves as pretty well off, and Robert is able to keep his fancy cars and expensive shirts, and buy nice wine and generally live in the style he aspires to. Aaron really isn’t bothered. But he wants Robert to be happy.

On the other hand he would prefer Robert away from the White’s altogether. He keeps hinting about Robert setting up his own company and why not?

But when it comes to bills they have that Yorkshire reluctance to spend anything unnecessarily. When Diane saw their water bill she was appalled. ‘Goodness,’ she said, ‘I don’t know what you two are doing with water. There’s only the both of you and you’re almost paying as much as the Woolpack.’

Aaron knows it’s probably to do with constant laundering of sheets, and their habit of spending hours in the shower together. He grins at the thought.

The doorbell rings.

Aaron blinks at the stranger standing there.

‘Yeah, mate?’ He asks.

‘Oh, Hi. You must be Aaron Sugden!’ He says. Aaron’s gaydar immediately recognizes the lad to be gay and attractive. Older than him, nearer Robert’s age.

‘Might be. Who’s asking?’ Aaron replies, a little tersely.

The stranger looks at him closely like he’s sizing him up, then smiles. ‘Actually I’m looking for Robert.’

 _Robert._ Aaron registers, not _Robert Sugden._

‘He’s not here.’ Aaron answers.  He isn’t sure why but the lad is making him nervous. ‘Is there something I can help you with?’

The lad kicks at the gravel underfoot and bites his lip.

‘When will he be here?’

‘Really not sure.’ Aaron hesitates. ‘Who are you?’

‘My name’s Connor, Connor Jensen. But actually I was once Connor Jensen Sugden too. We had a civil partnership, you see. Before actual marriage was legal. Annulled of course. It was a long time ago.’

Aaron can’t breathe. What is this boy saying?

‘He wouldn’t have told you. But I’m no threat to you, dear. He told me I only had one chance with him. Well I had it. And he told me last year he loves you.’

‘I’ll be back. I need some help. Tell Robert, he’s not answering my calls, that’s why I came.’

And he walks away.


	3. I'll tell you everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron feels his world is falling apart but Robert tells him he will explain his hidden past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit violent and a lot of angst.

Robert arrives home shivering from the cold weather as he opens the door. He smiles thinking about Aaron as his hand touches the hot radiator in the entrance hallway. He takes off his muddy boots and leaves them, he’ll clean them in a short while, but first he shouts out to Aaron with excitement.

‘Aaron! Look what Sam gave us!’ He’s carrying a rather grand dead pheasant, wrapped in newspaper. And I do know how to pluck it, if you’re wondering. I’m not the son of a farmer for nothing.’

Suddenly he hears the sound of retching coming from the bathroom upstairs. He drops the pheasant so its bloody neck rolls sideways on the floor. He runs up the stairs, heart hammering.

He finds Aaron on his knees, dry retching into the toilet bowl. His face is white and his eyes red and wild.

In seconds he’s beside him, his arm around him.

‘Aaron, Aaron. What’s wrong? Do you need to go to the hospital?’ He puts a hand on his forehead which is clammy, but there’s no temperature. ‘Did you eat something? Do you have a pain somewhere? Talk to me, Aaron! ‘

Aaron breathes, trying to control the spasms seizing his stomach. He sits back and as forcefully as he can, he uses his elbow to strike backwards at Robert in the chest, so that Robert grips himself and reels away on his knees. In spite of himself, tears appear in his eyes from the pain and shock of the blow which caught the edge of his old gunshot wound.

Aaron turns and Robert sees a fist coming at him, but in the confined space and already off balance, he can’t move to get away. He’s knocked sideways, his head landing on the bathroom floor. He waits for another blow. He can hear Aaron’s laboured breathing and watches his knees shuffling over the floor as he pulls himself to standing. Robert waits.

‘So I met Connor.’ Aaron's voice is shaking ‘Connor _Sugden._ Remember him?’ He is half shouting, half crying.

Robert screws up his eyes, not daring to look at Aaron anymore. Not now he understands.

Aaron aims a parting kick, he wants to go for the kidney, but in spite of how much he hates Robert right now he shifts his foot and lands it against his buttock instead, before walking out of the bathroom.

Robert waits then pulls himself up to sitting position leaning against the wall. He grabs some toilet paper and wipes the blood trickling from the gash on the side of his head from Aaron’s fist. He needs to move fast. He can manage this as long as Aaron doesn’t leave. If he leaves then he could lose everything. He tries to stand. He doesn’t know if Aaron is upstairs or downstairs.

‘Aaron?’ He calls.

He goes downstairs, a hand on the wall to keep him steady.

Aaron is sitting in the kitchen, an ice bag on his knuckles and silent tears on his cheeks. He hasn’t turned the light on and the room is getting dimmer and dimmer as evening falls outside the window.

Robert stands by the door.

‘I’m sorry, Aaron. I hid it from you. I was afraid to tell you.’

Aaron bites his lip and looks skywards, laughing.

‘You know what gets me. Why am I surprised? Everything, everything you have ever told me has always turned out to be a lie. I should know by now. But the problem is I keep loving you, no matter what. And you keep on doing this to me. Time and time and time again. ‘

Robert moves forward, desperate to take Aaron in his arms. ‘If I tell you about this, if I tell you everything… I did things you don’t know about… ‘

Aaron drew in his breath, ‘You wouldn’t even admit to being gay… and you’d been in a civil partnership! You looked me in the face and told me you’d only had one night stands. You told me I was the first bloke you loved.’

Robert moves closer.

‘You are, it wasn’t love… ’

‘He’s a nice looking bloke? Good sex?’

‘Don’t.’

‘And you saw him after we were together. ‘

Robert looks startled.  
‘Do you meet him often then?’

‘No, I just met him once, in Harrogate. When I was still with Chrissie. I hadn’t seen him before that for years.’

It’s so dark in the room now, Robert can’t see Aaron’s face. He reaches for him, Aaron puts his arms around him and starts pulling his shirt out of his trousers so he can get to his waist and touch his skin. In spite of everything he still needs that touch.

‘I’m going to tell you everything.’ Robert says. ‘But I need you to understand, this was before you and me. Just like I met Chrissie before you and me. This has nothing, nothing to do with us now, Aaron what I did then. You, you, are the love of my life. You’re the only one. You know that Aaron, don’t you. I have never, ever loved anyone like I love you.  I didn’t tell you, because I was ashamed. But now, I’m going to tell you everything.’


	4. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robert tells Aaron about his past.

Robert sat beside Aaron on the kitchen table, their sides touching. With the heating turned up now the room was warm, though a cold draft could still be felt from the cottage windows as darkness fell completely outside.

‘So, first off there was the accident. I was 19 and I admit it, I was out of control, Aaron. I was so, so angry with Andy in those days. I thought it was because of him that my whole life was wrong and my Dad, my Dad thought I was a waste of space, but he loved Andy. Andy was the golden boy.’

Robert takes Aaron’s hand and wraps their fingers together. He looks at their wedding rings shining together in the darkness of the room, lit now only by the moonlight from the night sky outside. ‘And you told me to let go and that this was a long time ago, and I did, because of what you said. But at the time it was different.’

Aaron has heard this from Robert before, but he listens intently. He understands that Robert needs to talk about this, to make sense of this.

‘So there was a car chase. I was in one car and they were in a jeep and they lost control, they were only lads too. The jeep went off the road, into a field, it rolled and it was upside down and all I thought about was my brother being safe so I pulled Andy out but then the car just suddenly exploded, and Max, he …died. Right in front of us. And it was my fault. I’d killed him. Just like with Katie.’

‘We called Dad, and that’s when he told me to leave. That’s why I left Emmerdale. They all made up this ridiculous story about sheep on the road. Andy says it was to protect me from the law. Dad, he…he didn’t want me to have to go to prison. But really he’d done with me. He couldn’t put up with me anymore. My own Dad, Aaron, and he just wanted me gone for good. He… couldn’t even look at me. So that’s why I left. And my state of mind wasn’t good.’

‘So your Dad thought you’d end up in prison then?’ Aaron asked.

‘I wish he’d just let me deal with that. They all thought I wouldn’t cope, so I thought I wouldn’t cope either, but it would’ve been better than what happened.’

Aaron squeezed his hand. He thought about Robert in prison. The kind of trouble his big mouth would get him into.

‘So I left Emmerdale and I was so angry with my Dad. I was so hurt by him sending me away. I had my car and I had some changes of clothes, I had my mobile phone, I had a bit of money in my bank account and that was it’

Robert drew a deep breath.

‘But I swore I wouldn’t contact my Dad unless he contacted me. And he never did. He was done with me, so let him be done with me.’

‘So I picked up some piece work, there was still some fruit picking, apples, pears cos it was the autumn, but of course the farm work dried up. I thought, I’d better get myself to a city and pick up work as a mechanic. I didn’t want to be in Leeds because I didn’t want my Dad to find me so I drove down to Manchester and then for some reason on to Coventry. I was reasonably optimistic at first, but no one, Aaron, no one, would give me a job. They wanted an address or references.’

‘Are you bored?’

‘No, course not, I’m listening.’

‘My money ran out. I was sleeping in the car, and this was winter mind. Then I didn’t even have money for petrol.’

‘So why didn’t you call Andy, or Diane?’

‘But you see that was the point. I couldn’t do that, Aaron. I couldn’t admit that I needed them and then things got worse. The worse it got, the more ashamed I felt and the more impossible it was to call them. I couldn’t bear the thought of their pity. With no money for petrol I decided to sell the car, then I got myself in a B & B and I was clean and warm and I had some money for food and then I thought if they need references I’ll just forge them, so I wrote some. And I got a job. And I thought I was going to be OK, but then I had to wait the week for my wages and my money ran out so I slept in a car in the garage and they caught me and sacked me again.’

Aaron shook his head.

‘There isn’t a quicker way to tell you this.’

‘I um started to sleep rough. It was cold and I um actually I could have died.' he lowered his voice 'I may be should have.’

Aaron was shocked. ‘Wh... what?

Aaron could hear Robert struggling to control his breathing in the dark. He heard his voice cracking as he started to cry. He pulled him closer so their heads were leaning against each other in the dark.

 ‘If I’d died then, it would have been better than what happened.’

‘Robert? What?’

‘Anyway, that’s when I met Connor. He found me sleeping rough. He took me to the place he was living. Truth is he saved my life that night.' he sighed.

‘He was just a boy, seventeen. He had an eating disorder, he was so thin. I always tried to make him eat more.  He’d been beaten by his family for being gay. His father had raped him in the middle of the night and then thrown him out the next day.’

‘I felt sorry for him. I wanted to protect him.’

‘So when you told me before about your first time. You said it was a one night stand. It was Connor then.’

Robert nodded.

‘Then it wasn’t just a one night stand. So why didn’t you tell me?’

‘What do you think Connor was doing when he met me?’

Aaron shrugged.

‘Aaron? Make this easier for me.’

‘Yeah, He was, he was selling it.’

‘He was, he, he still is.’

‘So, your first time was with a rent boy and you wanted to save him…’

Robert took Aaron’s wrists and held them tightly. He hid his face looking down and shaking his head.

‘Aaron, say it Aaron, say what I want to hear.’

‘I love you.’

Say it again.

‘I love you:’

He closed his eyes.

‘I love you Aaron. Remember that. Cos, maybe you won’t again after this.’ He blew out from his lips.

‘I worked as a rent boy with Connor. ‘

His voice was very faint. His suddenly tugged his hands away from Aaron and put them over his face. He spoke through them.

‘We had a pimp called Mickey. We started basic. It was… sickening. Most of the time I was off my head and you know me I don’t have any time for drugs, but you just, you just had to have something to help turn off the feeling. I don’t want you to ever know what people did to me. What I did.’

Aaron could hardly hear him.

‘Oh My God.’ He whispered.

‘I had to plan a way out. I got us involved in fancier escort services. Mickey was out, he wasn’t clever enough. I made money, good money. I wanted the money to be safe from the scum that were in that business. I helped Connor. We had a civil partnership so I could legally protect him and get him away from some of the people who were trying to exploit him. It was never a marriage. I had to figure a way out. I got help from Clive. He was a client. I reinvented myself.  Did you hear enough? Can you still say it? Did your feelings change?’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The long version of what Robert describes in this chapter is told in the fic I wrote called Rent


	5. Connor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aaron reacts to what Robert revealed to him. They both go together to see Connor in Harrogate and Connor tells them what he needs Robert's help for.

‘Robert. I’m sorry. If…if I’d known what …’ 

‘You don’t have to say it. You would have run a mile. I know that.’

‘No. I would have been able to look out for you better. I mean you’ve been dealing with this, you’ve kept all this to yourself. It’s such a lot to deal with on your own. I wish you’d told me.’

‘How could I tell you? How could I even start to tell you? And it was a long, long time ago. It’s done. It’s over. It’s finished. I got out of it, Aaron. Everything got back on track for me. I never want to think about it again.’ Robert wiped his face and straightened up.

Aaron wipes his eyes with his sleeve. His hands are shaking. His chest feels sore from retching and anxiety combined and he has a thousand questions that he doesn’t know how to ask. And he knows Robert. Robert has already started to close back down, locking away the events and actions that he doesn’t want to face.

Robert turns the kitchen light on and they blink at each other’s tear stained faces.

 ‘He said he’d come back here because he needs your help and you’re not answering his calls. Maybe you should call him.’

Robert doesn’t want Connor coming back. He opens the back door and walks into the garden and calls Connor, out in the cold and dark. Aaron washes his face and hands in the sink and dries them with a kitchen towel. He then gets some cotton wool and wets it with anti-sceptic from the first aid box. When Robert comes back in, Aaron makes him sit down and wipes the side of his face with the cotton wool.

‘You’ll have a bruise. Sorry.’ He mutters. Robert puts a hand up to touch Aaron, who flinches back. ‘You need to give me some time. I’ve got to get my head round this. Around everything.’

And Robert knows that is as good as he can expect right now.

 

The night is awful. Robert feels Aaron shaking as he cries and he can’t touch him, can’t comfort him. Eventually he sits up and put on the lamp by the bed. ‘Aaron I can’t do this. If you want me to leave, you have to tell me. Or for Christ’s sake let me hold you.’ So Aaron turns and folds himself into the heat of Roberts’ body and Robert’s arms reach round him.

Robert feels Aaron quieten, then Aaron’s mouth still wet and tasting of salt opens against his. Robert’s heart starts to race painfully in his chest at the initiative. It seems much too soon. But if Robert halts him he may think it's for the wrong reasons.

Aaron’s hands start to knead at his back. He intensifies his kiss pushing his tongue deeper into Robert’s mouth. He moves his head down biting at Robert’s nipples, so that Robert’s erection grows in response to the sweet pain. Aaron’s hands travel down over Robert’s arse cheeks, but Robert keeps his own hands very loosely against Aaron’s shoulders and he holds in the moans that run through his head, sensing Aaron needing to take control.

Aaron tugs Robert’s body round onto his stomach and rolls over onto him. In the lamp light he finds the lube. Then Aaron enters him pushing into the tight space with Robert flat on his stomach.

He pulls away the pillow so that Robert lies flat. He leans down and pulls Robert’s face round to the side by his hair leaning close to taste his mouth as he starts to move.

For Robert it’s uncomfortable, painful even. He wants to move up onto his knees, open himself up, but he submits.

Aaron checks with him, recognizing the discomfort. ‘Rob, you want me to stop?’ But Robert says ‘No. Go on.’

‘Do you want to move?’ He repeats but Robert answers again ‘No, Go on.’

 Each thrust brings Aaron closer. He slows down for a moment stroking Robert’s thighs with his hands before moving then back up to his shoulders. He starts to move again, faster this time, pushing a hand heavily on the side of Robert’s face so his cheek is pressed into the mattress. He comes noisily, and he rolls off Robert and lies on his back looking up at the ceiling. Robert waits on his stomach listening to Aaron’s breathing.

‘So been with a rent boy before, have you?’ He asks quietly. ‘Or was that your first time?’

‘Shut up.’ Aaron answers.

‘I don’t blame you.’

‘I’ve just got all these thoughts about you going through my mind. How do I shake them, Robert?’

In the morning, he gets up early and walks downstairs leaving Aaron pretending to sleep. At the bottom of the stairs he catches a rank smell. Robert crouches down and picks up the pheasant in the newspaper where he dropped it the night before. He opens the front door and throws it in the dustbin. Then comes back in and sits at the bottom of the stairs.

 

‘I have to go to Harrogate to see Connor.’ Robert explains, pulling on his clothes after his shower.

‘Now?’  Aaron asks from the bed. Robert nods.

‘Then, can I come?’

Robert looks stunned.

‘Let me shower.’ Aaron says.

Aaron drives them to Harrogate in Robert’s Jaguar sports, which eats the roads. Twice, Robert asks him to slow down. Finally he tells him to stop and they switch seats so he can take over the driving.  The winter air is damp and chill.

Robert gives the key to the concierge to park the car and they walk into the hotel lobby, where Robert calls Connor who tells him his room number.

Outside the room Robert checks Aaron’s face then knocks on the door.

Connor answers the door wearing pyjama trousers and naked from the waist up so that Aaron doesn’t know where to look. His blonde hair is long on top and hangs over his forehead. His eyes are the palest blue and his skin is like porcelain. Aaron notices his height more today seeing him next to Robert, their eyes on a level when they acknowledge each other.

 ‘Oh.’ Connor says on seeing Aaron ‘I suppose I should be flattered. Couldn’t trust yourself to be alone with me?’ He pauses and adds ‘After last time.’ looking searchingly at Aaron’s face.

‘Just let us in.’ Robert says tersely.

Connor reaches his hand up and touches the bruise on Robert’s face and Aaron blinks in shock at this evidence of intimacy between them and his heart races. He could take Connor out if he needed to, but he feels at a disadvantage. The lad’s skin and voice and the way his body moves is intimidating.

Connor turns into the room and walks in inviting them to follow.

On the large marble coffee table in the centre of the room there is a breakfast tray with a half-eaten continental breakfast and two cups of black coffee half drunk and cold. At the back of the room, there’s an unmade king sized bed. Aaron quickly looks away when his glance skims sex toys and condoms on the bedside table.

‘So you are here because..?’ Robert asks.

‘I’m with the same old dear as last year. Seems he liked me.’ Connor turns to Aaron ‘I am sure Robert told you I’m in the oldest profession.’   And Aaron looks away embarrassed. He’s so brazen. He turns back to Robert. ‘Anyway his wife is away again, so he called me back and here I am.’

‘And where is he now?’ Robert asks.

‘You’ll laugh. He’s gone to church.’ Connor grins. ‘The old hypocrite. It is Sunday and he’s probably reading a sermon from the Old Testament, something about thou shalt not fornicate.’  He runs a hand through his hair.

Robert looks around the room.

‘Get some clothes on. We’ll wait in the lobby. The room’s a mess. Call housekeeping to sort it out.’

Connor looks at Robert’s mouth and eyes, then lowers his eyes.

‘O.K. Get me a cup of Yorkshire tea, then. And a toasted teacake.’

Robert puts a hand on Aaron’s shoulder and steers him out.

 

In the lobby, Robert orders coffee for them both and they sit.

‘You don’t mind me being here?’ Aaron asks.

‘Mind? God! No! I am so glad you’re here!’

Robert reaches his hand forward and covers Aaron’s with his own.

‘Is he always like this?’ Aaron asks.

‘No. He’s just laying it on thick for your benefit.’

 

Connor joins them. He’s wearing tailored suit trousers, a shirt and waistcoat and looks chic and handsome.

‘I’m dressed in my Sunday best!’ He announces, winking at Robert, and sitting. ‘Did you order my teacake?’

Robert calls over a waiter and orders for him.

‘So now, tell me what the panic is all about.’

‘OK. So I was driving north on the M1 on my way up here. I stopped at a service station near Sheffield. I was walking back to my car. There was a black Meybach. I looked at it briefly although you, Robert, would probably have been more interested than me. Anyway when I looked up, I came face to face with Grant Marshall. He was in the front passenger seat.. He looked straight at me and then he gestured as if he was shooting me….’

Connor imitated a gesture of shooting.

‘Then they drove away. There were three other men and a woman in the car.’

The waiter came with Connor’s tea teacake, smelling of butter and sweet toast.

‘I’m scared. He must have got out of prison. I think he’s going to kill me, Robert.’

Aaron was shocked to see tears suddenly welling up in Connor’s pale eyes.

‘But he, they could have gone anywhere. They were driving north. They could literally have been on their way to Scotland and seeing you was just a coincidence.’ Robert said.

‘I saw them again coming off the motorway in Leeds. They are here somewhere. And if they are coming for me, they could be coming for you, too.’

 

 


End file.
